For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10 NASB

Buzz Word

Yesterday I was grumpy, today I am feeling discouraged. I know we all have our own talents that God has bestowed on us by manipulating our genetics and I am grateful that I have even a little bit of anything, but some days it seems that my talent is to be a jack of trades master of none. I see in my head how things should go or what to create, but to be able to make it travel from head to hand is a more difficult task. I can’t even draw it out so that someone else can execute it and that makes me more melancholy than I would like.

Uh oh now I have gone and done it, I have opened the door to the word “depressed”. In the Christian faith that is like pulling the pin on a grenade and telling someone else to hold it, you don’t know quite what to do with it, but you know if you throw the grenade the whole place could go up. Depression and stating that you feel depressed seems to be a buzz word in the church. I haven’t quite figured why that is. Some say it’s because depression comes form a state of not believing that God can work all things for His good. Ok well that seems reasonable, but then some call it sin and that just doesn’t sit well with me. I am not talking about those who have a clinical brain imbalance that need medication to sometimes even be able to get out of bed, I am talking about thoughts of sadness, or melancholy.

The argument could be, and has been, made that those kinds of feelings are a sin because we aren’t trusting God with all that we have. Ok those of you who leave ALL things to God at ALL times raise your hand. If you even thought about raising your hand you just sinned…because you lied. I am not condemning you, but I am bringing to light the simple fact that because we live in a meat suit we have to, at times deliberately bring our thoughts to Him and ask Him to take them captive. For many of us it doesn’t come naturally and we struggle against the flesh. We live in a fallen world and therefore we are going to have feelings of being inadequate, depressed (uh oh there’s that word again), helpless and even hopeless. What differentiates us from the world is that we do have a way out of those feelings or at least a comfort from and during those feelings. It doesn’t mean we will do it perfectly each time, but it does mean that we can “Do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Philippians 4:13.

Related

Post navigation

4 thoughts on “Buzz Word”

Thank you for writing such a candid post. I agree that in the church (and surprisingly even in the mental health/counseling community) those struggling with depression are indirectly told that they’re simply not trying hard enough to think and/or believe more positively. I’ve struggled with depression since childhood, and I’m certain that things haven’t fully improved due to a lack of trying. What’s beautiful about relationship with God is that in the very moment that we need relief we can call out to God and trust the Holy Spirit to be present with us. That’s what sustains me. Although my depression has lifted more and more each year, it’s still a struggle sometimes, but I know that unlike relying on people I can got to God with it – for the umpteenth time – and He’ll do nothing short of loving me through it. Thanks again and all the best to you.

“What differentiates us from the world is that we do have a way out of those feelings or at least a comfort from and during those feelings. It doesn’t mean we will do it perfectly each time, but it does mean that we can “Do all things through Christ who strengthens us.” Philippians 4:13.”

So true! Being a Christian doesn’t mean we’ll never have struggles or we’ll always be happy, it means that we have a hope and God’s help in the midst of the struggles.